Stirrup.



C. W. STIER.

STIRRUP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1912.

i Wigwam %.w /MM CLAUDE .w. smart, or AMERICAN rALLsJIpAHo.

' STIRRUP.

7 Specification of Letters'Eatent.

Patentetl'Oct. 28, 1 913.

Application filed January 9,-1912. Serial 0.- 670,275.

To all whom 2'15 may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE. 1 V. Srmn,

citizen of the United States, residing at American Falls, in the county of Qneida and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stirrups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a safety stirrup adapted to be used to prevent the foot of a rider from being caught and held by the stirrup in case the rider is thrown from the animal upon which he is mounted.

With this object in view the stirrup consists of a bail shaped member adapted to be attached to the stirrup strap in any appropriate manner and which is provided at the ends of its sides with spaced ears between which a foot member is pivoted. The said bail member is provided with springs which are located between the ears and which are adapted to cotiperate with shoulders with which the foot member is provided, for the purpose of holding the foot member in alinement with the bail member when the parts are in normal positions, and for the purpose of holding the foot member at an angle to the bail member when the parts are in abnormal position. The foot member is provided with a toe piece which normally lies over the toe of the rider, but should the rider be thrown his toe will engage the said toe piece and swing the foot member so that the foot is readily liberated fro-m the stirrup.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of the stirrup; Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the same, showing the parts in one position; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same showing the parts in another position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

The stirrup includes a bail member 1 which is of the usual U-shaped configuration and which may be secured to the stirrup strap in any desired manner. The bail member 1 is provided at its ends with spaced ears 2. A spring 3 is provided at each end ofthemember 1 and the said springs are located between the ears 2. A foot member 4, approximately U-shaped in edge elevation, is pivoted at its ends between the ears 2 at the ends of the bail member 1 and the said foot member 4 is provided at its ends with shoulders 5 and 6 which are disposed approximately at right angles to each other, the

shoulders 5 being at the rear ends of the said foot member and the shoulders 6 at the top ends thereof. The springs 3 normally bear against the shoulders 5 and hold the foot member 4 approximately in alinement with the bail member 1. However, when the foot member 4 is swung the free ends of the springs 3 bear against the shoulders 6 and hold the foot member 4 at an angle to the bail member 1. A toe piece 7 is carried by the foot member 4 in the vicinity of the ends thereof and projects forwardly from the stirrup.

When the riders foot is in position in the stirrup his toes are under the toe piece 7 and the instep or the ball of the foot rests upon the bottom of the foot member 4. While in this position the springs 3 bear against the shoulders 5 and the parts are held in normal positions. If, however, the rider should be thrown and his foot twisted or turned, his toes will come in contact with the toe piece 7 and the foot member 4 is swung upon its pivotal connection with the bail member 1 and the foot member 4 assumes an angle to the bail member 1 and is held against returning by the springs 3 which then bear against the shoulders 6 pro vided at the ends of the foot member 4. The said foot member 4 being held in such a position with relation to the bail member 1 the riders foot may readily slip out of the stirrup and consequently the danger of being dragged by having the foot caught in the stirrup is avoided. The overlapping parts of the members 1 and 4 fit snugly against each other and the springs 3 are completely housed between the ears of the bail member 1. Consequently there are no projecting parts to offer obstruction or to catch in objects.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A stirrup comprising a bail member having at its ends spaced ears, a spring located pair of ears and having at a point between each pair of ears, shoulders which are disposed approximately at right angles to each other about the point of pivotal connection between the members and against which the springs are adapted to bear to hold the foot 10 member in alinement with the bail member or at a predetermined angle to the same.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLAUDE W. STIER. Witnesses:

Mrs. CLAUDE W. STIER, HALL K. WALLIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

